Compensation Escalation Cycle
What does this mean?
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
The Path Forward
The Steward
Re-establishes board supremacy over executive extraction. It freezes compensation and mandates that all future financial rewards be tied strictly to verifiable mission expansion.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | — | 28.7% | 44 | Governance-Stressed | Gov Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 20.2% | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 22.5% | 43 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 15.1% | 43 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 14.9% | 48 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 13.8% | 48 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2016 | — | — | 18.1% | 47 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 19.4% | 45 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | 21.4% | 37 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2012 | — | — | 15.5% | 43 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMIE LAFRENIERE | EXECUTIVE DI | 14.9% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN SUTTERLIN | MUSIC DIRECT | 9.3% of Rev | ||
| JEFF AMSTUTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| BRUCE ATWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| KIMBERLY BARRETT | Board Member | — | ||
| SHAIA BERNARD | Board Member | — | ||
| TARA BRZOZOWSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| JOHN BYKOWSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRY COLEY | Board Member | — | ||
| PRISCILLA DANIELS | PARTNER CHAI | — | ||
| MARK DISHAW | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHI DRAKE | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK FOGARTY | Board Member | — | ||
| NICK GEFFERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY GRONBACH | Board Member | — | ||
| DAVID HAAS | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA HUPFER | PAST PRESIDE | — | ||
| JULIE KILEY | Board Member | — | ||
| MIKE LOKENSGARD | Board President | — | ||
| CATHY MUTSCHLER | Board President | — | ||
| DAWN NOWAKOWSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| RICH REDMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| STEFANIE SCHUH | Treasurer | — | ||
| MEGAN WOOLF | Board Member | — | ||
| JERRY ZABRONSKY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMIE LAFRENIERE | EXECUTIVE DI | 15.5% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN SUTTERLIN | MUSIC DIRECT | 6.9% of Rev | ||
| JEFF AMSTUTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| BRUCE ATWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| SHAIA BERNARD | Board Member | — | ||
| JARRAD BITTNER | Board Member | — | ||
| TARA BRZOZOWSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRY COLEY | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK DISHAW | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHI DRAKE | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK FOGARTY | Board Member | — | ||
| NICK GEFFERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY GRONBACH | Treasurer | — | ||
| SANDRA HUPFER | Board President | — | ||
| JULIE KILEY | Board Member | — | ||
| MIKE LOKENSGARD | Board President | — | ||
| CATHY MUTSCHLER | Board Member | — | ||
| RICH REDMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| STEFANIE SCHUH | Secretary | — | ||
| ADDIE TEETERS | PAST PRESIDE | — | ||
| JERRY ZABRONSKY | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMIE LAFRENIERE | EXECUTIVE DI | 12.6% of Rev | ||
| KEVIN SUTTLIN | MUSIC DIRECT | 7.2% of Rev | ||
| JEFF AMSTUTZ | Board Member | — | ||
| BRUCE ATWELL | Board Member | — | ||
| SHAIA BERNARD | Board Member | — | ||
| JARRAD BITTNER | Board Member | — | ||
| RENEE BOLDT | Board Member | — | ||
| TARA BRZOZOWSKI | Board Member | — | ||
| SHERRY COLEY | Board Member | — | ||
| PRISCILLA DANIELS | Board Member | — | ||
| KATHI DRAKE | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH ANN DRESSEL | Board Member | — | ||
| MARK FOGARTY | Board Member | — | ||
| NICK GEFFERS | Board Member | — | ||
| MARY GRONBACH | Treasurer | — | ||
| TODD HEID | Board Member | — | ||
| SANDRA HUPFER | Board President | — | ||
| JULIE KILEY | Board Member | — | ||
| MIKE LOKENSGARD | Board President | — | ||
| CATHY MUTSCHLER | Board Member | — | ||
| RICH REDMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| STEFANIE SCHUH | Board Member | — | ||
| ADDIE TEETERS | PAST PRESIDE | — | ||
| JERRY ZABRONSKY | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 183 other orgs in WI with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 32 points above the peer median (60 vs. 28).
5-year trend: Compensation Escalation Cycle
Revenue grows modestly, but top officer compensation grows consistently for 5 years, breaching danger zones. The executive is negotiating aggressive raises against a compliant board.
Overall score has gone from 48 → 44 over 5 years (declining by 4 points).
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 28.7% is modestly above the sector's healthy band (18–22%) — worth monitoring.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Reduce top-officer compensation from 28.7% to under 22% of revenue — would move governance score by ~13 points.
- Separate signing authority from fundraising authority when both are held by one person — removes the concentration penalty (~12 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.